What not to say and do

Despite the many differences in pronunciation between English and Arabic words, be wary of some false friends, i.e. terms that are pronounced practically the same in both languages, but refer to totally different things.

If you were to enquire about when an event’s taking place, for example, don’t be shocked if you’re given information about the location of the event rather than its timing: the English word whensounds exactly like the Arabic word وين [wein] which meanswhere.

If your name is Anna, أنا [ana], this means I in Arabic, so, if you introduce yourself by saying I’m Anna, أنا آنا [ana Anna], this would translate as I am I in Arabic.